Elastic-fluid turbine.



No. 808,134. PATBNTBD DEG. ze, 1905. H. G. Woon a; H. BURLNGHAM,

ELASTIG FLUID TURBINB.

5 SHEETS-SHEET L NVENTURS Zio @J4/ad zrzwrl/.B

APPLIGATON FILED SEPT. 1. 1904.

WITNESSES:

urlz faam 87 y ATTUHN No. 808,134. PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905. H. G. WOODd.: H. BURMNGHAM.

BLASTIC FLUID TURBINB.

APF'LIOATION FILED SEPTV 1904.

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No. 808,134 PATBNTED DBG. 26? w05.

' H. G. WOOD E H. BURLINGHAM.

BLASTIG FLUID TURBINE. APPLICATIGR FILED SEPT l`1904A BSBEB'ISfSEEET 3,

WITNE S SES:

ATTORNEYS No. 808,134. PATBNTBD DEC. 26, 1905. H. G. WOOD & H.BURLINGHAM.

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE.

APPLIUATIGN FILED SEPT, l. 1904.

SHEETS-SHEET L No. 808,134. V PATENTBD DEC. 26, M305. H. G. WOOD 6a H.BRLINGHAM.

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1904.

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lll-Illmule from UNITED STA'ES PATENT OFFiCE.

HORATIO (l. WOOD ANI) HIHA M BURLING li A M, OF NElVPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

ELASTlC-FLUID TURBINE.

No. 808,134.V

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed September l, Serial No. 222,981.

HIRAM BURLINGHAM, citizens of the United.

States, and residents of New port, in the county of Newport and State ofRhode Island, have invented a new and Improved Elastic-Fluid Turbine, ofwhich the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide an elastic-duid turbineuseful particularly in connection with steam and in which the kineticenergy of the motive fluid will be maintained as high as possiblethroughout its movement through the turbine.

The further object of the invention is to so distribute the motive Huidin the turbine as f to secure the full benefit of the motive force andto equalize as fully as possible the strains on the apparatus.

A further object is to improve the regulation of the speed of therotating parts by providing devices for throttling the motive-fluidsupply, and the invention comtemplates various other objects of major orminor importance` all of which will fully appear herein- In attainingthe various ends in view we provide a turbine the rotor of whichcomprises its main central part, having peculiarly-arranged vanes orbuckets and end or wing parts also having peculiarly-arranged buckets orvanes spaced from the main or central part of the rotor. Located withinthe spaces bctween said parts of the rotor are two means for increasingthe pressure of the motive iiuid as it passes from the central part ofthe rotor to the two end or wing parts thereof. In case steam is themotive fluid employed. and this is the special purpose of our invention1this auxiliary means for increasing the pressure of the uid consists insuperheaters supplied with steam from the main steam source or from anyother source desired. The motive fluid is introduced into the shell atseveral equidistant points around the circumference thereof opposite thecenter of the main partof the rotor by means of nozzles properlydisposed, and each nozzle is supplied with a valve controlling the fluidmovement therein. These valves are operated automatically by a peculiargovernor which causes the valves to close and open in succession and thespeed of the turbine to be gradually'increased or reduced, according tothe governor action.

Our invention resides in certain features of construction and relativearrangement of parts, which will be fully set forth hereinafter andpointed out in the claims.

ings, showing as an example the preferred embodiment of our inventionadapted for use with steam as ainotive fluid, in which drawings likenumeralsof reference indicatelike parts in the several views` and inwhich- Figure 1 is a general plan view of the entire apparatus. Fig. 2is a longitudinal section taken through the turbine proper. Fig. 3 is across-section through the turbine proper on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.3 illustrating particularly the end ordischarge vanes at one end of thecentral or main part of the rotor and also illustrating the steam-supplynozzles and the valves controlling the same. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectionof the turbine proper on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, this view particularlyillustrating the discharge side of one of the superheaters. Fig. 5 is across-section of the turbine proper on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, this viewillustrating particularly the divisional plates on the end or wingsections of the rotor. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the turbine properon the line 6 6 of Fig. 2, this view illustrating particularly the formof the buckets first receiving the impact of the entering steam andforming elements of the main or central part of the rotor. Fig. 7 is aschematic view showing the general arrangement of the turbine, itsvalves. and governor. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation showing thevalves,the section being essentially on the line 8 8 of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is asectional plan view looking down from the section on the line 9 9 ofFig. 8. Fig. 10 is a face view of the valve-chest of one of theautomatic valves shown in Fig. 8, this view particularly illustrating bybroken lines inlet and exhaust ports in said valve-chest. Fig. 11 is adetail perspective view of the steamdistributing valve employed in thechest particularly shown in Fig. 10, Fig. 11 showing the ports of thedistributing-valve which register with the ports of the valve-chest.Fig. l2 is a detail perspective view of one of the divisional platesemployed in each end or Wing part of the rotor. Fig. 13 isadetailperspective view of one oi' the diagonal venes employed on both parts ofthe rotor. F ig. i4 is a detail perspective view of one of the buck- 1ets employed on the central or main part of Reference is had to theaccompanying drawi IOO the rotor. Fig. 15 is a fragmentary elevationlooking toward the inner side of one of the sections of which the mainor central part of the rotor is composed, this view particularly showinga group of the buckets on said main part of the rotor and illustratingthe manner in which they are secured in place. Fig. 1G is a fragmentaryperspective view of one of said sections of the main or central part ofthe rotor.

The apparatus may be arranged upon a suitable base, the outline of whichis indicated at 20 in Fig. 1. The turbine is provided with a main shell21, exhausting at each end into hoods 22, the pipes 23 of which lead,for example, downward through the base 20, as indicated by the brokenlines in Fig. 2. rPhe main shaft 24 of the turbine passes axiallythrough the shell and terminates in stuffingboxes in the hoods 22. 26indicates suitable pedestals in which said shaft is mounted.

The rotor is keyed on and turns with the main shaft 24. The main orcentral part of the rotor is -formed of five dislelike sections 27,connected as a unit by tie-rods 28 and provided in their side facesadjacent to their peripheries with matching undercut grooves 29,receiving T-shaped projections 30 and 31, formed on or fastened to theinner end fianges 32 and 33' of the vanes 32 and buckets 33. (Shown indetailv in Figs. 13 and 14, respectively.) At their outer ends the vanes32 and buckets 33have flanges 32b and 33, respectively, and these haveformed on or fastened thereto T-shaped projections 34 and l35,which larereceived and held in undercut grooves 36, 'vformed in the edges orperipheral rings 37.

These rings 37 encircle the buckets and vanes, as shown in Fig. 2, andare clamped rigidly together by means of tie-rods 38. In this manner thebuckets and vanes 32 and 33 are rigidly and securely connected to disks27 and rings 37 and the whole of the parts 27 32 33 37 being boundsecurely together as a single structure. As shown in the drawings, wepreferably provide peripheral rings 37, divided in two groups spacedapart to leave the annular steam-entering space 39, and located midwaybetween this annular steam-space is a peripheral iiange or partition 40,preferably formed on the central disk 27 and serving to divide theentering steam-jets into two parts, which pass, respectively, toward theends of the turbine, as will hereinafter fully appear.

21 indicates an annular interior rib on the shell 21, which fits intothe steam-entering space 39 outward from the partition 40 to prevent theescape of steam outward from the periphery of the partition. (See Fig.2.) The partition or flange 40 separates the main part of the rotor, andindeed the entire tu rbine, into two sections, and at each side of saidflange or partition an annular series of buckets 33 and an annularseries or vanes 32arerrcommu nicate ranged. As shown best in Fig. 7, thebuckets 33 extend out from the llange or partition 4() diagonally acrossthe axis of the rotor and lead thc .steam-jets to the vanos 212, whichexA tend diagol'iallv across lho rotor-axis in :i direction oppositethat laken by the buckets, so that steam entering the turbiiui, asindicated by the arrows iu Fig. 7, strikes the buckets 33 and b v impactthereon exercises a rotating influence in the direction of the arrow ftin said view and after passing' from the buckets takes its coursethrough tbe vanes 32. By the reaction of the steam in passing therefroma further impulse is given the rotor also in the direction of said arrowrt. It will also be apparent from said view that the buckets 33 arespaced considerably wider apart than the vanes 32, and, as Figs. G and14 show, the buckets are provided with diagonal walls 33, which actproperly to direct the steam into the vanes 32.

The end or wing sections of the rotor are each made up, according to theformofthe invention here illustrated, of disks 41, secured together bytie-rods 42 and having undercut grooves 43, essentially the saine as theelements 27 and 28 before described. These end or wing parts of -therotor have partitions 44, running parallel to the axis of the rotor.

and vanes 45, disposed diagonally, essentially the same as the vanes 32above described. The said partitions 44, as shown fully in Fig. 12, haveT-shaped projections 46 formed on or fastened to their end (langes 44,and said partitions are located at the inner ends of the end sections,with their projections 46 engaged between theadjacentmatching grooves 43ofA the sections 41. The vanes 45 are located at the outer ends of theend sections of the rotor and have T-shaped projections 47 attached totheir inner end iauges 45, which projections 47 are held between theadjacent matching grooves 43. Each end part of the rotor has threeconcentric peripheral rings 48, clamped together by ticrods 49 andformed with matching undercut grooves 50, which receive T-shapedprojections 51 on the outer end flanges 44"of the partitions 44 andT.shaped projections 52 on the outer end flanges 45" of the vanes 45.rl`his arrangef ment clamps rigidly together the parts 41, 44, 45, and48 in essentially the same manner asY the elementsof the main or centralpartof the rotor.

As Fig. 2 clearlyshows, the end parts ofthe rotor are spaced from thcmain part, and within this space lie the before-referred-tosuperheaters, each of which comprises, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, adrum-like main part 53, fastened securely within the sbcll 21 and havingsteam-passages 54 tapering from the main part of the rotor toward theend parts. The drum 5 3 is hollow between the passages 54, and thechambers thus formed in said drum central space 55, formed IOO IOS

aus, .we

by the inner walls of the drum and by a sleeve 56, having side flanges57 extending to and engaged with the side faces of the drum. 'lhroughthe sleeve of each super-heater the shaft 24 loosely passes. Theinterior chambers ot' the superheater-drums 53 are supplied with livesteam through pipes 58, which pass through the shell .2l and into thesuperheaters from any desired source ot' iive steam for example, fromthe main supply-pipe 59. The steam in passing from the venes 32 atrelatively reduced pressure enters the passages 54 of the superheaterand in moving through the same absorbs further heat and acquires ahigher pressure and greater kinetic energy, which is utilized as thesteam passes on to the end or wing portion of the rotor.

The main steam-pipe 59 leads into a chest 60, provided witha number,preferably' three, of cylindric interior walls 61, forming chamberscommunicating with the interior of the chamber 60 by openings 6i. (SeeFigs. 8 and 9.) From these chambers formed by the walls 61 nozzle-pipes62 pass, respectively, to the shell 21. These nozzle-pipes are locatedat equidistant points around the shell and are so disposed as tocommunicate directly with the steam entering groove or passage 39 in themain or central part of the rotor, the steam-pipes passing through therib 21", as shown in Fig. 2. Steam, therefore, is admitted Vinto theshell at a plurality of equidistant vpoints around the circumferencethereof, and ,the various jets are caused to exercise their force uponthe rotor with the result before explained and the strain incident tothe operation is distributed equally, so as to avoid the asfully aspossible destructive strain on bearings and other partsof the turbine.The movement of the steam into the chambers formed bythe walls 6l, andconsequently the steam supplied to the turbine1 is controlled bypiston-.valves 63, which operate in the cylin drie walls 61 and aremovable to cover and uncover the openings 61. (See Fig. 8.) Saidpiston-valves 63 have rods 64: attached, and these .rods pass upwardinto cylinders 66, mounted on the chest 60, carrying within saidcylinders pistons 66.

67 indicates screwstops for imiting the upward or opening movement ofthe elements 63, 64, and 66. Said cylinder 65 is fitted with avalve-chest 68, controlling steam movement through ports 69 in thecylinders and by means of which the pistons 66 and their connected partsmay be moved toward one or the other end of their cylinders, asdesired.Slidevalves 70, provided with ports operate in valve-chests, so as toalternately connect the inlet-port 69 with the exhaust-port after themanner of the ordinary reciprocating steamengine, thus bringing aboutthe reciprocation of the parts 66, 64, and 63, as will be under stoodfrom the prior art. Steam is supplied to the chest 68 through pipeswhich pass from the chest 60 or any other suitebie source, (see Figs. 3and 8,) and the exhaust from said chest is taken oli' through pipes 72,passing, for example, to one of the exhaustlpipcs Q3 of the turbine. Bymeans of the mechanism above described it may be seen that any one orali est' the piston-vaives 63 may be moved downward to cover the ports6l, thus cutting oi any part or the whole of the steam supplied to theturbine. steam-supply is brought about by the reciprocation of theslide-valves 70 through the medium of stems 73, connected to theslidevalves (see Figs. 1G and l1) and operated by crank-arms 74,respectiyely attached to the governor-shafts 75. Said governor-shaftsare three in number, two being tubular and the three being fittedtogether one Within the other, as `shown in Fig. 1. The shafts arerockably mounted in pedestals 76, rising from the base 20 or any othersupport desired. Attached to each shaft 7 5 are two adjustabletappet-arms 77. Coacting with these arms is a disk 78, arranged to slideon the shaft 24, as shown in Fig. 1, or, if desired, on a counterv shaft24a, (see Fig. 7,) suitably geared with the main shaft. The disk 78 isconnected by a link 79 with elbow-levers 80, fulcrumed to a cam 81, alsosliding on the shaft 24 or 24a. The elbow-levers are connected by aretractile spring 81, which holds them yieldingly in the position shownin Fig. 1, and they are joined by pivots to weights 82, slidably mountedin a y-wheel 83 under the action of centrifugal force, and in so doingthey will spread the spring-connected arms of the elbow-levers 80,resulting in a movement of the disk 78 axially along the shaft 24 or24". This movement of the disk 78 causes it to engage one or the otherof the pairs of tappets 77 and to impart a rocking movement to one, two,or all oi' the governor-shafts 75. Two tappet-arms are provided for eachgorernorshaft, so that it will be engaged upon the movement of the disk7 8 in each direction, and said tappet-arms are each successively inadvance of the other. The iirst governor-shaft is first actuated, thesecond governor-shaft is next actuated, and the third is next actuated,this bringing about a successive movement of the piston-valves. By thismechanism the speed of the turbine may be automatically and economicallyregulated under the action of the governor.

The organized operation of the apparatus may be traced as follows: Thevarious parts being in the adjustment shown in the drawings and steambeing supplied to the chest 60, the steam will pass at once to thenozzle-pipes 69., since when the machine is idle the governor-weights 82lie at their innermost positions and the valves 63 open, as shown inFig. 8. pon the entry of the steam into the turbine-shell it will bedivided by the partition 40, and it will pass toward each end of theturbine, successively engaging the buckets 33 This control oi they ICO leoaisfi and vanes 32, the superheaters, the partitions 44, and vanes 45,and then passing out through the exhaust-hoods 22 and pipes 23. Thesteam in so passing through the turbine will impart initial movelnent tothe main or central part of the rotor, will escape therefrom to have itstemperature raised in the super-heater, and will pass from the turbineacting from the end rotor parts, thus giving to the rotor and to theshafts 24 a continuous movement in the direction corresponding to thedisposition of the various buckets and vanes and at a speed dependentupon the steam velocityT and the governor action` as will be understoodfrom the foregoing description. The action of the governor is automaticand dependent upon the previous adjustment thereof, causing one or moreof the jets to be rendered active or inactive. according to theconditions under which the governor is operated.

In the following claims we Vdesire it understood that the term bucketwhen employed alone and not in association with the term "vane isintended to mean an element on ifslhedrotor receiving the action of themotive Various changes in the form` proportions,

and minor details of our invention may be recirculation of a heatingmedium therethrough and having passages for the movement of the motiveHuid, said passages tapering toward the discharge end of the turbine.

2. A turbine having a rotor provided with two members, means forclamping them together, a bucket adapted to receive the action of themotive fiuid and having a part held between said members, two peripheralrings between which a part of the bucket is also held, and means forclamping the rings together.

3. A turbine having a rotor provided with two members one of saidmembers having an undercut groove, means for clamping said memberstogether, a bucket adapted to receive the action of the motive fiuid andhaving a part fitted in the said groove, two peripheral rings, one ofwhich is provided with an undercut groove, the bucket also having a partfitted in the second-named undercut groove, and means for clamping saidperipheral rings together.

4. A turbine having a rotor provided with two members, means forclamping them together, the members having matching undercut grooves, abucket adapted to receive the action of the motive iluid and having a T-shaped part litted in the undercut grooves, two peripheral rings havingmatching undercut grooves also receiving the T-shapcd part on thebucket, and means for clamping said peripheral rings together.

5. A turbine having a rotor provided with two annular groups of buckets,the members of each row converging toward the steam- How, and twoannular rows of vanes receiving the steam from the buckets and rangingdiagonally opposite to the direction in which the buckets extend.

6. A turbine having a rotor provided with partitionsextending parallelto the axis of the rotor, and discharging into the vanes exv tendingdiagonally ot' said axis.

7. A turbine having a rotor comprising a main and an end part, devicesattached to the main part of the rotor and adapted to receive the actionof the motive fluid, partitions attached to the end part of the rotorand extending parallel to the axis thereof, and vanes receiving themotive fiud from the partitions and extending diagonally of said axis ofthe rotor.

8. A turbine having a rotor provided with a main and an end partseparated from each other, a superheater located between said parts, adevice attached to the main part and adapted to receive the action ofthe motive Huid, partitions attached to the end part and receiving themotive fiuid from the superheater, Said partitions extending parallel tothe axis of the rotor, and vanes also attached to the end part of therotor and receiving the motive Huid from the partitions, the said vanesextending diagonally of the axis of the rotor.

9. A turbine having a rotor, buckets attached thereto, peripheral ringslocated outward of, and encircling the buckets and between which ringsparts of the buckets are engaged, and means for clamping thc ringstogether to hold the parts of the rotor secure.

10. A turbine having a rotor, buckets attached thereto, said bucketshaving projections extending from their outer ends, peripheral ringsbetween which said projections of the buckets are received, and meansfor clamping said rings together.

11. A turbine having a rotor, divided into two parts spaced from eachother and adapted to have the working steam pass from one to the other,and a superheater for the steam interposed between said parts of therotor and adapte'd to reheat the steam on its way from one of said partsto the other, said superheater comprising walls forming a chamber and apassage through the same through which the working steam passes from onepart of the rotor to the other, and means for conducting reheating-steamto said chamber to heat the walls thereof.

IOS

l LO

1Q. A turbine having a rotor divided into two parts adapted to have thesteam pass from one to the other, a super-heater located between saidparts of the rotor and having a passage therein to conduct the workingsteam from one to the other part of the rotor and means for supplyingreheating-steam to the interior oi' the superheater.

13. A turbine having a rotor provided with two parts adapted to have thesteam successively engaged therewith, the first part of the rotor havingbuckets and the second part of the rotor having partitions runningparallel to the axis oi' the rotor, and vanes disposed diagonally tosaid axis and receiving the steam from the spaces between thepartitions.

i4. A turbine having a rotor provided with two parts adapted to have thesteam successively engaged therewith1 the first part of the rotor havingbuckets and the second part of the rotor having partitions runningparallel to the axis of the rotor, vanes disposed diagonaily to saidaxis and receiving the steam from the spaces between the partitions, anda superheater interposed between said parts of the rotor to reheat thesteam as it passes from the lfirst to the second part.

l5. A turbine having a rotor provided with two parts adapted to have thesteam successively engaged therewith, the lirst part of the rotor havingbuckets and the second part of the rotor having partitions runningparallel totheaxis of the rotor, vanes disposed diagonally to said axisand receiving the steam from the spaces between the partitions, and asuperheater arranged between said parts of the rotor and havinga passagetherein for the movement of the steam from one part to the other of therotor whereby to reheat the steam.

' 16. A turbine having a rotor provided with two annular groups ofbuckets, the members of each group converging toward the steamoiv, twoannular rows of varies receiving the steam from the buckets and rangingdiagonally opposite to thedireetion in which the buckets extend, and apartition carried with the rotor and separating said annular groups ofbuckets.

17. A turbine having a rotor provided with two annular groups ofbuckets, the members of each group converging toward the steamliow, twoannular rows of vanes receiving the steam from the buckets and rangingdiagonally opposite to the direction in which the buckets extend, and apartition carried with the rotor and separating said annular groups ofbuckets, said partition being located opposite tbesteam-inlct oriices soas to split ordivide the steam-supply and distribute part to one groupof buckets and part to the other.

18. A tu rbine having a stean'i-engaging part comprising a main portion,flanges extending transversely from the ends thereof, and a T- shapedprojection extending outward from the flanges.

i9. A turbine havinga shell and a rotor operating therein, means forconducting a plurality of motive-Huid jets into didcrent parts of theshell, a motive-Huid supply communieating with each of said jets, avaive controlling each communication, a cylinder for each valve, apiston operating in each cylinder, a connection between the pistons andthe respective valves, an additional valve for each cylinder, theadditional valves serving to admit fluid-pressure alternately to thesides of the pistons, and a synchronous governor having connection withsaid additional valves to operate them in succession, whereby toSueeessively cut ofi the Huid-jets leading into the shell of theturbine.

20. A turbine comprising a shell and a rotor operatingtherein,astcamchamber located outside of the shell` jet-pipes passingfrom said chamber into different parts of the shell, cylinders withinthe chamber from which cylinders said jet-pipes respectively lead, saidcylinders comm unicating with the interior of the chamber, apiston-valve in each cylinder, ad-

ditional cylinders mounted on the chamber respectively opposite thecylinders in each chamber, pistons operating in the additionalcylinders, means connecting the pistons respectively wit'n thepiston-valves, valve devices controlling the supply of duid-pressure tothe sides of said pistons, and a synchronous governor operating thelast-named valve devices.

21. A turbine having a shell and rotor operating therein, a meansforming a steamchamber outside of the shell, steam-jet pipes passingfrom said chamber into dierent parts of the shell, valve devicesjuxtaposed to said chamber and independently controlling said movementthrough the jet-pipes, and a synchronous governor for operating saidvalve devices in succession.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HORATI() G. WOOD. HIRAM BURLINGHAM. Witnesses:

HENRY BULL, Jr., WM. S. Goor-en.

IOO

